NY Mets down to three finalists for general manager opening; Brodie van Wagenen interviews Monday

The three finalists for the Mets' general manager vacancy are Brewers senior adviser Doug Melvin, Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and CAA baseball co-head Brodie Van Wagenen, according to a source.

Van Wagenen first interviewed Monday, and the team will interview a second candidate Tuesday, according to an additional source.

NorthJersey.com and USA TODAY Network New Jersey first reported Monday the Mets had cut their list with MLB agent Casey Close and MLB executive Kim Ng failing to make the second round. A source later clarified that Close did not seek the job and never officially interviewed.

The three finalists come from different backgrounds and bring different skills to the table with only Melvin having previously served as a general manager.

Brodie Van Wagenen

Van Wagenen is an intriguing candidate since he's the head agent at one of baseball's most reputable agencies. His background in contract negotiations provides a solid base to work with, and he also is well respected in the industry.

CAA also represents some of the Mets' most prolific candidates such as Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes.

Van Wagenen, 44, would obviously have to step away from his CAA role to be the Mets' general manager, and it would create an interesting dynamic due to his ties to several players. He has made it clear that he believes deGrom deserves a contract extension, but the team has yet to agree to a deal. If named general manager, he would likely continue that fight that he already has been fighting and may not ultimately win.

The Mets have to analyze whether there would be any affect in the clubhouse or around the industry if their top executive comes from an agency the team often does business with. The Mets are known for signing CAA clients and not inking Scott Boras clients.

While the Mets are planning to make their candidates available for interview, Van Wagenen provided a statement since he is still an agent.

Fred Wilpon joined the interview process for the second round, and Jeff Wilpon and other Mets executives also participated in the interview.

"My conversations with the Mets continue to be organic. I believe baseball is better when the Mets are competitive and successful," Van Wagenen said in a statement. "That success is better for the fans, players, and the economy of the sport. As Jeff and Fred continue their search for a new head of baseball operations, the players, fans and entire organization will be motivated to have a leader with the skills and commitment to win. If the Wilpons believe I am that person, we will have that conversation."

Doug Melvin

Doug Melvin(Photo: The Associated Press)

Though Van Wagenen interviewed first, Melvin, 66, enters the second round as the favorite. He has gained momentum, according to a source, and seems to have an edge since he fits what owner Fred Wilpon is looking for in a lead executive.

Wilpon prefers an old-school executive with a background in scouting and player development, according to sources, and Melvin spent the earlier parts of his career in those roles before becoming a general manager with the Rangers and Brewers.

He moved into his advisory role with the Brewers in 2015, and some of his moves helped set the Brewers up for their current success.

The Mets are also planning to compete next season, and it could help Melvin's case since he has built playoff contenders before while the other two have not.

While Melvin may have an early advantage, it will only matter if he wins over Fred Wilpon since he has the final say in who will be the next top executive.

Chaim Bloom

Bloom, 35, is known for being an analytically oriented candidate like many of the younger general managers in MLB.

He has previously served as the Rays' assistant director of minor league operations, and his duties have includes contracts, player development and performance science. Bloom, a Yale graduate, has been with the Rays for the last 14 seasons.

While the game is trending toward younger executives, there is plenty of skepticism surrounding whether the Mets would actually hire a young general manager with an analytics background since Fred Wilpon is not a big believer in analytics.

There are those in the organization who understand and believe in analytics, but it won't matter if Fred Wilpon is not willing to accept that type of candidates.

The Mets scared away some younger candidates due to these concerns such as former Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. The team also unsuccessfully pursued Twins general manager Thad Levin and Indians general manager Mike Chernoff.

Nationals assistant De Jon Watson and Tigers vice president of player development Dave Littlefield also did not make list.

The team is hoping to have its general manager in place by the start of the GM meetings Nov. 5. The next general manager will be replacing Sandy Alderson.